Virgin nerite
Vitta virginea
Also known as Olive nerite, Virgin nerite snail
FreshwaterBrackishSnail
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–79°F
- 22–26°C
- pH
- 7.5–8.5
- Adult size
- 0.8 in
- 2 cm
- Minimum tank
- 5 gal
- 20 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Egg layer · Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Neritidae
- Origin
- Western Atlantic and Caribbean estuaries
Overview
The virgin nerite is a peaceful algae grazer for a hard-water tank, fresh or brackish. It is easy to care for.
Did you know
Most virgin nerites in the trade are wild collected.
Caring for the virgin nerite
Keep virgin nerites on their own, in a tank of at least 5 gal (20 L). They are solitary grazers, so stock by how much algae the tank grows rather than as a group. Use a lid, because they climb the glass and will crawl out of an open tank.
Give them hard, alkaline water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. The calcium in hard water keeps the shell solid. In soft, acidic water the shell pits and erodes, so check your hardness before adding them.
Virgin nerites are peaceful bottom dwellers that work over glass, rock and substrate all day, grazing algae. They will starve in a clean tank. If the algae runs out, drop in algae wafers or blanched vegetables like zucchini or spinach.
A virgin nerite will not breed in a freshwater tank, no matter how settled it is. The females lay small white egg capsules on hard surfaces, but the larvae need brackish water to hatch and grow. The eggs simply sit there and never produce young. Breeding is hard in the home tank, and the snails cannot overpopulate.
Good to know
The virgin nerite, Vitta virginea, is a small snail in the family Neritidae. With good water, it lives a couple of years.
In the wild
Virgin nerites come from estuaries along the Western Atlantic and Caribbean coasts. There they graze algae from rock and substrate, in hard, mineral-rich water.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The virgin nerite is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Neocaridina shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)59–84°F (15–29°C)
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
FreshwaterBrackish2.4 in (6 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Cherry barb
Rohanella titteya
Freshwater2 in (5 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Micro bumblebee goby
Brachygobius nunus
FreshwaterBrackish1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
X-ray tetra
Pristella maxillaris
Freshwater1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 18 gal (70 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Ninja shrimp
Caridina serratirostris
Freshwater1.2 in (3 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a virgin nerite need?
A virgin nerite needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a virgin nerite need?
A virgin nerite is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.
What does a virgin nerite eat?
A virgin nerite grazes algae off glass, rock and substrate all day. If the algae runs out, feed it algae wafers or blanched vegetables such as zucchini or spinach.
How big does a virgin nerite get?
An adult virgin nerite reaches about 0.8 in (2 cm).
Related species
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